Leaving town: Welsh report says bad access and attitude drives shoppers away

By Sunil Peck

Disabled people in Wales face significant barriers to high street shopping, a report has found.

The Streets Ahead report, produced by Disability Wales, recruited mystery shoppers to investigate the accessibility of shops and services in Wales.

They found that buildings often had no level access and that shops were cluttered; that staff could be unhelpful and insensitive and that the intercoms used by some banks can exclude deaf customers.

One of the mystery shoppers, Margaret Baron from Haverfordwest, who uses a walking stick, says that the lack of disability awareness among staff in shops needs to be addressed.

"I tried to open a shop door and couldn't. The staff could see me but they didn't help," she said.

"If you pick up some clothes and you have a stick, the staff don't come and ask you if you need a hand. They ignore you."

The report concludes that disabled people are increasingly shunning high street shops in favour of out of town shops which are often more accessible.

 Rhian Davies, Chief Executive of Disability Wales, vowed to campaign until inclusion in the high street was a reality.

She said: “Being able to buy a loaf of bread, pay in a cheque or have a haircut are everyday activities that disabled people should be able to take for granted."

Disability Wales has recommended that the definition of 'reasonable adjustments' be clarified in the Single Equality Bill. It is also calling for funding for access groups in Wales; access to be a priority issue among business organisations and for local authorities to enforce their statutory duties concerning access to the high street where planning permission is sought for new developments and changes to existing buildings.

*The report can be found at  http://www.disabilitywales.org/1086